We're considering to make MODs part of Steam workshop. When server is started with some MODs, other players must have it too (it may automatically download from steam of ask user...).
What do you think?

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Sounds like a perfect way to do it! Garrys Mod had something very similiar. When you joined a modded server, you'd get all of the 3rd party files upon joining. It was a simple, seamless experience and worked great!

I would think that you guys could think of a simple solution to this, but I would guess instead of adding new modded blocks into CubeBlocks.sbc, it'd make sense to have each mod have its own sbc file specifying the models it uses. So like 'PHXWeaponPack.sbc' for example. That would save the CubeBlocks.sbc file being overwritten every time a new mod is loaded with custom models.

We're considering to make MODs part of Steam workshop. When server is started with some MODs, other players must have it too (it may automatically download from steam of ask user...).
What do you think?

I have a question. For those of us creating models and modding. When multiplayer is available, are our creations going to be visible for everyone?
How's that going to work?
- Will we have to download and install player created model and texture packs?
- Will they just automatically be downloaded so they display? (Security risk, long load times)
- Will they only be available for single player games?

- Or...how?

Click to expand...

We're considering to make MODs part of Steam workshop. When server is started with some MODs, other players must have it too (it may automatically download from steam of ask user...).
What do you think?

Click to expand...

Thank you, that sounds good. I forgot that there are also options within privately owned Valve game servers, too, within the server's config file, where the server owner or an administrator can set up certain things required by all the players joining that server to be downloaded from a separate server. I've actually modded a game (Empires) and put the required, changed, files on the download server and used the config file so anyone that joined would automatically download our modifications. So that is very possible too. The downfall with that is that

1. it may take forever to download depending on the size of the mod. I don't think there is a file compression thing available for this through or on steam game servers. I could be wrong. It would also be up to the user/player if they wanted to wait for a long download or not.
2. ...security risks. Which...should be left to the individual players to decide whether they want to join that server and download the modifications and take that risk or not. Which is how it is anyway.
I was just curious as to how you(the devs of Space Engineers) were considering doing it. It would be nice to have all options available, which it seems that's what's being considered. Thanks for answering!

I have a question. For those of us creating models and modding. When multiplayer is available, are our creations going to be visible for everyone?
How's that going to work?
- Will we have to download and install player created model and texture packs?
- Will they just automatically be downloaded so they display? (Security risk, long load times)
- Will they only be available for single player games?

- Or...how?

Click to expand...

We're considering to make MODs part of Steam workshop. When server is started with some MODs, other players must have it too (it may automatically download from steam of ask user...).
What do you think?

Click to expand...

Yes! Official mod support built into the core game would be amazing. IMO that is where Minecraft is most lacking, they continuously focus on content but the community can generate way more content if a stable API of sorts is put into place.

Just sorta curious anyone know if the developers allow users extracting models? because i want to use the current models as reference so i can make a few custom turrets and a better control chair, passenger chair.

Just sorta curious anyone know if the developers allow users extracting models? because i want to use the current models as reference so i can make a few custom turrets and a better control chair, passenger chair.

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They are obviously in support of player creativity. I would just do it. If they have a problem with it they'll let you know. Everything is in the Terms of Service. If you're that concerned, read the TOS in full and make sure what you're doing is ok. If the TOS doesn't say you can't...you can.
It's also safe to assume any model you can open, you can use as reference or even edit it. Keep in mind, of course, if you edit a current model it may not work very well when they release multiplayer.

Just sorta curious anyone know if the developers allow users extracting models? because i want to use the current models as reference so i can make a few custom turrets and a better control chair, passenger chair.

Click to expand...

They are obviously in support of player creativity. I would just do it. If they have a problem with it they'll let you know. Everything is in the Terms of Service. If you're that concerned, read the TOS in full and make sure what you're doing is ok. If the TOS doesn't say you can't...you can.
It's also safe to assume any model you can open, you can use as reference or even edit it. Keep in mind, of course, if you edit a current model it may not work very well when they release multiplayer.

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Thanks for the update, sadly someone told me about the pre extracted stuff recently and i've been using that for reference instead.

Thanks for the info camsedin, thought I was losing it when adding some blocks. Do you know if you can set placement (in order to keep blocks grouped) or is that section of CubeBlocks.sbc no longer used?

I have found that you can export from lightwave with this method save your lwo. file then open deep exploration save as fbx. from deep exploration and you will not suffer from lightwaves strange habit of making strange smoothing artifacts and your smoothing data and uv map will import intact happy lightwaving another 3d application user base enters the fray!

Supposedly you can leave the NormalTexture parameter as you have it (with no file location) if you save your ns file with the same name, but with
a _ns instead of _de, and if they are located in the same folder. But I haven't actually tested this. Note that if you do use my placeholder below you
will have to either change the parameter as I said above to the correct name, or just rename the texture to (using the above example) :

Code:

large_hydrophonic_ns.dds

If you don't know how to make a normal/spec texture feel free to use my placeholder ns file below.
https://drive.google.com/#folders/0B-TYi_kAL4s2UUgwazF1OHFkdXc

I would just post the texture here but most image boards won't let you upload .dds files.
Let me know if you, or anyone else, has problems downloading it from google Docs.

Supposedly you can leave the NormalTexture parameter as you have it (with no file location) if you save your ns file with the same name, but with
a _ns instead of _de, and if they are located in the same folder. But I haven't actually tested this. Note that if you do use my placeholder below you
will have to either change the parameter as I said above to the correct name, or just rename the texture to (using the above example) :

Code:

large_hydrophonic_ns.dds

If you don't know how to make a normal/spec texture feel free to use my placeholder ns file below.
https://drive.google.com/#folders/0B-TYi_kAL4s2UUgwazF1OHFkdXc

I would just post the texture here but most image boards won't let you upload .dds files.
Let me know if you, or anyone else, has problems downloading it from google Docs.

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Yeah, thanks, but it is not the case. I found my problem anyway, and it was that I turned off texture in material to bake lightning in, and forgot to turn it back on afterwards. But missing normalmap instead messing up with model smoothgroups, so even blank one is required.

Does this still work? Because for the life of me I cannot get any new objects to show up in the object selection screen.

***Edit: Got it all to work... after so many damn hours of fiddling with all this coding nosense. . . Except teh Collision Mesh... For some reason the collision on my object is showing up as a large Cube.

The new &lt;Components>&lt;/Components> Area have the Data what you need on Components to build this Block.

This Data's are in this Area:

-The Order in which the Components are used/needed (1. Line = 1. Component / Last Line = Last Component)-The Type of the Component (Subtype="&lt;Component Type>")-The Number of this Component (Count="&lt;Number>")

After this Area there is a &lt;CriticalComponent> Flag, this mark where the 100% Place is, the thin red Line on the Construction Window, when this Component is build the Block is ready for use and the normal Model of the Block is used. For our Example means this, that the Gatling Turret can be used when the Computer Components are build into the Block. If you have for example three "SteelPlate" Component Entries and you want that the last one is the Critical one, then you must set Index to 2 (Index="2"), the Number of the Entry -1.

The new &lt;BuildProgressModels>&lt;/BuildProgressModels> Area have the Data when which Construction Model of your Block should be used.

-Up to which percent the Model should be used (BuildPercentUpperBound="&lt;Number>") 0.00 = 0% / 1.00 = 100% from &lt;CriticalComponent>-The Path and Filename without the ".mwm" Extension of the Construction Models

At the End is a &lt;BuildTimeSeconds> Flag, that should be the Time you need to build the Block, but I'm a bit confused. I stop the Time to build the Gatling Turret up an get 40 Seconds, but there stand 30 Seconds.

On some other Blocks there are a "&lt;DisassembleRatio>2.5&lt;/DisassembleRatio>" Flag directly after the last Flag above. I'm not sure what exactly that is but for me it sounds it is the Ratio how much faster you can disassemble a Block than assemble it, depending on &lt;BuildTimeSeconds>.

Note: some Things I have tested to get sure that I'm right, but I didn't made a Custom Block to check all of this, but as far I could see there is no reason you can't made this.

As may some of you know that last update broke mods, Devs changed file format for models and it's now causes game to crash when trying to load old model. I found out why. Devs lifted restrictions about collision meshes. Custom ones is now possible!

As may some of you know that last update broke mods, Devs changed file format for models and it's now causes game to crash when trying to load old model. I found out why. Devs lifted restrictions about collision meshes. Custom ones is now possible!

Click to expand...

That's good to know that they lifted that, hoping to get updates from mod authors so i can update my Mod List

I have a problem with maya 2014 models, if I assign any material to my model I get a crash in game.

crash log: (let me know if you need the whole log file)

Importing asset Models\Cubes\Large\Gratefloor, ...
Exception occured: System.Reflection.TargetInvocationException: Exception has been thrown by the target of an invocation. ---> System.ArgumentOutOfRangeException: Length cannot be less than zero.

The only reference I found is on Se-Modz, but no answer is given there, at least not yet, if I get one I'll post it both ways, so the next unfortunate who runs into this will have something to find.

I did run a bunch of test on this. Model complexity and material type, and export options seem to be irrelevant (tested with original models and combinations)

My best guess at the moment is that it has to do with uv mapping, but how or why I have no idea. If anyone ran into this before please let me know what the hack to do about it..

Edit:
Solved, I'm an idiot

Anyway if this happens the reason is you defined the texture wrong in the xml file for the mwm conversion. Should have checked for it sooner, I just assumed from something that .dds is added by default, it isn't..